Manchester United vs Benfica: 5 Key Talking Points

Manchester United vs Benfica
History was created as Manchester United beat Benfica comfortably at home

#4 Benfica create history, but the not the kind they'll want to remember

Rui Vitoria Benfica
Rui Vitoria is unhappy with something - probably the state of shambles his team find themselves in

Benfica may have raced toward their 5,897th Primeira Liga title (actually it's 36... but it really does feel like their 5,897th) last season but they have looked a pale shadow of themselves this time around.

While still third in the league after 10 games (three behind Sporting and five behind hated rivals, Porto), it is their form in the Champions League that's the real cause for concern.

I should rephrase that, cause for concern implies there's something that can be done to correct the situation while in actuality the Portuguese giants have already created history - and not the kind they'd like to remember.

They are the first Portuguese side in European competition history to lose their first 4 games of the group stages and it really does look likely that they'll be the first to 6 - and exiting the group stage with not a single point.

As good as some of the individual players were - full-back Douglas was superb going forward (not so much doing his primary job, though), Ruben Dias looked as solid as ever, Diogo Goncalves didn't enter the scoresheet only because of the fact that David De Gea was the one facing his shot... and we've already talked about Mile Svilar.

End of the day, though, as a unit they promised much to deliver little and a club of Benfica's lineage will be hurt by it... but goddamn it, their fans deserve all the credit in the world for simply refusing to give up on their team.

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Edited by Anirudh Menon
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